Homeless Sue Cities for Making Homelessness a Crime

A California city is being sued by four homeless men who claim homelessness has been criminalized there.

Robert Schunknect, Mario Acosta, Justin Lightsey and James Escobar are suing the city of Manteca for adopting ordinances making it illegal to sleep or set up encampments outside. It also banned urination and defecation in public. The four say they have been cited by police for illegal campsites and argue the laws violate their constitutional rights by making homelessness a crime.

“If we are not doing a crime, leave us alone,” Acosta told ThinkProgress, adding, “I shouldn’t be arrested and dragged off to county” just for being homeless.

A similar legal battle is taking place in Sarasota, Florida, which banned sleeping outside, even though the city has no publicly funded homeless shelters. With the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, six plaintiffs are suing Sarasota to have the ordinance overturned.